Prague Urban Design, Architecture, and Landscapes

I am here studying Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, so it is high time I make some sort of commentary on my impression of Prague Design. One of the first things we learned about Prague is that there is an old town, which seems to have been mostly constructed c. 1100 - 1300, and there is also a New Town, which was mostly constructed c. 1350 - 1500 (excuse me if I am off on the dates, I am not one to focus on such facts and figures).

The Old Town area of town is embanked by the river to the West and North, and at the time, was enclosed by a fortification wall all around the East and South––all together forming a sort of tear drop shape. This part of the city grew organically with one main square, and the remainder of the outdoor plazas were created by the left over spaces between buildings. There is no grid to speak of, you cannot go more than a 100 m without facing a decision to turn or enter an enclosed passageway. The streets are narrow, and while most of them are open to car use, they are dominated by pedestrians. Often 5 building facades meet at different angles, creating the small interesting spaces which are utilized by restaurants during the warmer months. Several Markets formed along the edge of the fortification wall, where they had easy access to incoming goods.

The New Town formed along the eastern edge of the wall (which has since been removed), encompassing an area about three times the size of Old Town. In contrast to the organic development of the Old Town, this area was planned out in advance in a parcel-by-parcel grid system that we are much more familiar with. One main square, Wenceslas Square, was originally designed to function as a Horse Market in the New Town. Now the space is a commercial hub and tourist attraction. The secondary plazas in New Town either take up entire blocks, half of blocks, or––what I find most interesting––is the use of the interior of the block. Probably my favorite Quart-yard in Prague is formed by buildings all around the exterior, facing outward toward the street. Perhaps it is the lack of tourist-focused shops that makes the place so peaceful.

My school is located just inside the Old Town, and my hostel is located in the New town, so everyday I walk across the boundary between the two drastically different city designs. I would say the most striking contrast in the way I experience the spaces is in my attempts to Navigate. The grid system is clearly very straight forward and familiar for me, while the design of Old Town forces me to rethink how I navigate. You cannot memorize street names or when to turn right and left, you cannot count the number of blocks you travel, you cannot use the sun because so little of the sky is exposed. Instead, you look for spires and landmarks, and you know the general direction in which you need to travel. After living here two months I am no where near mastering this. But––I am aware of this alternate layout, what it takes to adjust, and I am developing a sense for how it changes the experience at the pedestrian level. That is really all I can expect to get out of traveling to a traveling to a new place as a Landscape Architect/Urban Designer.